Help! How would I submit my salary expectations with this job application?

I’d include it in the cover letter. Even though it lists as 3 separate bullets, it would be weird to have a 3rd document with just your salary requirements.

Be sure to write a unique cover letter for just that position at that company. Research what they do. Try to put yourself in the position of the people reading these application. What are their biggest concerns/challenges? How can your unique skills help them solve those issues besides the generic bullshit that everyone puts on there (team player, attention to detail, bla-bla-bla, etc.).

The cover letter is your opportunity to make the pitch for why YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS POSITION and no-one else will ever be able to do it as well as you can. The resume should support the arguments made in the letter.

@gorillapaws I ended up putting it in the second to last section of the body.

Here is what I submitted:

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to express my enthusiastic desire to fill the vacancy for the position of Editor I at the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) in Madison, WI. I am confident that my educational experiences and ongoing work as a freelance writer have prepared me to excel in this role.

My experience as an undergraduate student research assistant afforded me the opportunity to cultivate formal science writing and speaking skills. The challenge of communicating detailed technical and scientific knowledge to a diverse audience has forced me to learn how to couch high-level physics concepts in general terms. Details on my work and the project can be found in my resume.

Since January 2015, I have worked as a freelance writer for a web-based custom writing service, completing more than 370 projects of varying length in a broad range of subjects. For 18 months of daily writing, I have been steadily improving my organization, time management, research skills, and standard of writing. Through trial and error, I have learned how to manage simultaneous projects without missing a deadline or receiving a complaint.

I am ready to offer my time, passion, and skills to NCCD in exchange for $30,000 – $40,000 a year. I would be honored to join your team as your editor.

I am looking forward to receiving your call. Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely,

Check your personal messages!

@trolltoll Just some quick points I’ll throw out that are really rough/crudely written to get the ideas across more than the actual finalized language:

Your audience doesn’t care about YOUR desire to fill the role, it’s about filling THEIR needs. So the intro should be more along the lines of: “I’m applying because my education, experience and passion for social justice make me an excellent choice for the position of Editor.” Anticipate their needs (nonprofits are always looking for funding): “As a nonprofit in a difficult economy, I understand how crucial fundraising is to fulfilling your mission of championing social justice via research, education, training (etc.) (It should be public record so look into where most of their funding comes from, and mention it, e.g. Corporate funding, or grants, private philanthropy, etc. You need to know where they’re coming from to write an effective letter)... Having written material that clearly articulates your message, tone and house style is vital for reaching professional donors, receiving grants, and effectively communicating the results of NCCD’s research, etc.

Next you’d want to show why YOU’RE the one they need. How your previous experience translating technical Physics papers into digestible material, as well as your 18 months of regular daily publication totaling over x words published, demonstrates that you have the talent to do the job as well as the tenacity and drive to consistently deliver large volumes of exceptional quality writing. Combine this with your personal passion for their mission of making the world a just and fair place (example needed), and you’re well on your way to demonstrating why they’d be crazy not to interview you.

As far as the salary itself. I’d give an actual number, and explain how you arrived at it: E.g.

I reviewed salary data from salary.com and the median salary for editors with my education and experience in the zip code of…. is $x. Because NCCD is a nonprofit and I understand there are budget constraints a 20% discount from the median seems like an appropriate adjustment. The result after this adjustment is $y, but is open to further negotiation.

Anyways, I know this was really unpolished, but hopefully it gives you some crude suggestions for addressing the underlying concerns your audience may have.

@gorillapaws I was really hoping to that my first sentence would convey how sincere I am about wanting to work for this company. It was a significant to me, so I thought they would give a damn, too. This is the first job posting that I have seen in years that has made me feel hopeful about being traditionally employed again.

I originally did include an explanation about how I came up with the figure, but I decided not to include it, because I wasn’t sure whether or not to include a reference citation. the job description emphasized APA formatting, so I decided to make my cover letter APA formatted. Generally, information that comes from external sources must be included with a citation and a corresponding reference page entry. I wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea to include a reference page with my cover letter; like they would consider it tacky or “trying tou hard” or something.

I do believe that the figure I quoted is fair based on the mean salary for editors in my state and on my lack of professional experience.